Weekly Newsletter: March 11, 2016

Verse for today:

Protecting our youth – even today

Proverbs 1: 8 -19

8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,and forsake not your mother’s teaching,9 for they are a graceful garland for your headand pendants for your neck.10 My son, if sinners entice you,do not consent.11 If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;let us ambush the innocent without reason;12 like Sheol let us swallow them alive,and whole, like those who go down to the pit;13 we shall find all precious goods,we shall fill our houses with plunder;14 throw in your lot among us;we will all have one purse”—15 my son, do not walk in the way with them;hold back your foot from their paths,16 for their feet run to evil,and they make haste to shed blood.17 For in vain is a net spreadin the sight of any bird,18 but these men lie in wait for their own blood;they set an ambush for their own lives.19 Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;it takes away the life of its possessors.

Verses 8-19 are addressed to a son who is young and inexperienced and who is, as yet,
relatively innocent.
Wisdom speaks through his mother and father (v. 8). I understand the young man to have reached his teen years, the point at which he is facing adulthood and has to make decisions on his own.

At this point in life he is inclined to look more to his peers than to his parents for guidance and direction. He will normally begin to question the values taught by his parents. The father urges his son not to forsake what he has been taught and to avoid the evil way advocated by at least some of his peers. The intention of the father’s words recorded here is preparative and preventative.

The child has not yet been approached by evil men, but that may soon come. At first glance it seems incredible that a father would find it necessary to warn his son about the solicitations of violent men to join them in their life of crime. Consider:

First, children, while sometimes sweet and innocent, have a natural inclination toward cruelty.

Second, violence has an attraction for young people, even those who have been raised in a warm and loving home.

Third, violence is a way of life for so many now-a-days. The media is saturated with violence. While it may seem far away, when they speak of ISIS, it’s not that far away if we look at Honduras, El Salvador & Mexico. It’s right next door in Colombia. And we have gang violence right here in Panama.

The first enticement is that of group acceptance and identity. In the teen years children establish their self-esteem more in the way their peers view them than by what their parents think of them. The result is a tremendous sensitivity toward what their peers think, and a strong inclination to be accepted by their own age group. Peer pressure is never stronger.

What are we doing to protect our youth from these approaches?

THIS SUNDAY AT BALBOA UNION CHURCH

Worship Service at 10 a.m. – ALL ARE WELCOME!

SPEAKER: Joel Guerra

Sunday School Teachers: Shery Hansraj

First Testament Readings and Psalm

Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126

Epistle Reading

Philippians 3:4b-14

Gospel Reading

John 12:1-8

Prayers Concerns

Please Pray for Our Brothers and Sisters from Siria and Iraq

Lord, please remind the world that we are all brothers and sisters and there should be no violence among us, only love and attempts to understand one another.

We also remember in prayer our former pastor:

Luis Veagra – facing health issue

Up-coming BUC Activities

New Spanish Service in BUC- Starting this Sunday, March 13 5:00 PM

We are SO excited: this vision has finally become reality! Starting this Sunday, at 5:00 p.m., we will have our first Spanish service on Sunday evening, opening our church to a much greater segment of the community. We look forward to having a youthful flavoured service, which draws in our Community to participate in fellowship, education, worship, and service.

Saturday March 19th 10:00 am-AAAM Program

Please come and join us as we share with those in the community that most need it. Our “oldies” would love to meet you! The 3rd Saturday of every month we have an opportunity to serve those in need, with food packages and not simply a Christian service and attention. This is an opportunity to serve!

Saturday, March 19 – FAMILY PICNIC

If you stick around after the AAAM program, please join us for our family picnic and barbecue to celebrate the end of the Panamanian summer.

Fundraising effort – 773 Land Purchase

2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”

It is the pleasure of the BUC Council to inform you that we are fundraising to purchase the land under Building 773, across the street from the Church & parsonage. As many of you know, BUC applied in 2000 for the purchase of the land, according to the terms of the Panama Canal treaty, of all three of our buildings: the church, the parsonage and building 773. In 2012, thanks to the efforts of past and current members, the purchase of the land under the church and parsonage was finalised, and we were given title to not only our buildings, but also the land.

We are asking all friends and members to collaborate and assist in any and all ways possible, financially, with their skills and time, so that we can make this purchase also a reality. We ask you to give generously, as you are willing and able.

Please contact Leslie, our church secretary, for details on how you can make donations to this fundraising, or contact one of the Council members for more details if you have any questions. Thank you for your active involvement in these church plans for 2016!

Questions & Answers:

One of the members of the congregation asked us to clarify the 2016 members of the BUC Council and Committee Chairs:

Membership – Vacant – we continue to look for one of our members to step up and help with this role

Property Management – Vacant – we continue to look for one of our members to step up and help with this role

From Our Friends of Theatre Guild

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)

March 3-5 ● 10-12 ● 17-19

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) parodies the 37 plays of Shakespeare with all of them being performed in shortened or amalgamated form by only three actors, and in just 97 minutes!

Expect a fast-paced, gag-a-second delight that leaves you gasping for more

If you want to collaborate with any of our committees specially Property & Management or Memebrship please feel free to contact us at councilsec@balboaunionchurch.org or office@balboaunionchurch.org.

Building 773:

We continue our work sprucing up Building 773 – the basement, apartment C and other common areas. We would be happy to have any volunteers that can assist with this, and any donations towards this work would always be appreciated.

Good Deeds Program in Casco Viejo:

In BUC Missions we are Collaborating with “Good Deeds ” Program: Here is more information regarding the Good Deeds Program. And here is some information regarding their activities, if you want to participate and volunteer more actively.